Rock, and a hard place

Amber Pacific might be the perfect summer band for the Warped Tour set. Even its sad songs are unbelievably bouncy.

For the last four years, the Seattle-based quartet has scored buzz as pop punk's next big thing. And with the release of Truth in Sincerity on May 22, the band hopes to take its sound, along with its success, to the next level.

"We hope this is our moment," lead vocalist Matt Young says. "We feel like we've laid the groundwork [for it]."

Truth in Sincerity has certainly positioned Amber Pacific for its moment in the sun. It presents the band with its now-familiar chugging guitars, pounding drums and emotional lyrics. The album also highlights the one ingredient that distinguishes Amber Pacific from the rest of the post-hardcore pack: pop hooks so big, the band could catch Moby Dick with them.

Still, the guys say they like mixing things up.

"We'll play a song that you can sing along to," Young says, "but right after that, we're going to play a song that everybody is running around like chickens with their heads cut off to, pushing people around and having a good time."

Striking a balance between pop heroes and mosh-pit initiators seems something the band enjoys, and something it hopes to do on a larger scale.

"We certainly want to grow in terms of as a band," says Young. "We think that it's possible. We'd be happy if this was our moment. We feel like we deserve it."